정부가 2024년 국가연구개발사업 예산을 비효율 사업 및 낭비요인 제거를 이유로 약 3조4,500억원 줄였다. 현장에서는 예산 감축으로 연구가 위축되지 않을까 걱정하는 분위기다.
Next year's major R&D budget of 21.5 trillion won, down 14% from the previous year
Reducing inefficiency and waste factors, significantly expanding 7 key areas
The government has reduced the 2024 national research and development budget by approximately 3.45 trillion won, citing the elimination of inefficient projects and wasteful factors. There is concern in the field that the budget cut will hinder research.
The National Science and Technology Advisory Council held the 4th Deliberation Meeting of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council on the 22nd and deliberated and decided on the '2024 National Research and Development Project Budget Allocation and Adjustment Plan' and received the government R&D system innovation plan as a report agenda.
▲Minister of Science and Technology Lee Jong-ho is announcing the budget for major research and development projects next year. Accordingly, the 2024 major research and development project (major R&D) budget totals KRW 21.5 trillion, a decrease of 13.9% (KRW 3.45 trillion) from the previous year.
Regarding this, Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho said, “This budget plan is a signal to eliminate inefficiency, waste, vested interests, and barriers,” and added, “We will definitely eliminate incorrect practices such as R&D with fixed owners and distributed R&D, and increase transparency and reliability from the entrance to the exit of research project management to prevent recurrence.”
Also, “Chief of Staff, Infectious Diseases, etc. He said, “We have boldly restructured businesses that have increased significantly and not decreased due to current issues, businesses that are like handing out grants to small and medium-sized businesses, and conventional businesses,” and “With the budget saved here, we have significantly expanded the budget for seven key areas that will prepare for the future of the Republic of Korea: biohealth, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum, semiconductors, secondary batteries, and space.”
Looking at the budget plan, first of all, 2.8 trillion won will be invested to secure world-class competitiveness through global solidarity and to foster world-class talent, thereby actively supporting world-class research among excellent domestic and international groups and the growth of young researchers.
In addition, 2.5 trillion won will be invested in future strategic technology fields such as advanced bio, quantum, space, and next-generation nuclear power, which are expected to be the next-generation growth engines of the country, to focus on supporting the internalization of innovative technologies and strengthening private sector capabilities.
In the cutting-edge key industries that will drive the nation's continued growth, 3.1 trillion won will be invested to secure core technologies such as semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, and advanced mobility, and to maintain a leading edge in related materials and parts.
For digital convergence, KRW 1.6 trillion will be allocated to focus investment in securing next-generation digital technologies such as 6G, ultra-large AI, and cybersecurity, thereby supporting the acquisition of world-class digital capabilities.
The 2024 National Research and Development Project Budget Allocation and Adjustment Plan, which was finalized through deliberation by the National Science and Technology Advisory Council, was notified to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance immediately after the deliberation meeting, and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance plans to finalize the government budget plan and send the 2024 government budget plan to the National Assembly in early September.
Meanwhile, the science and technology community has not made an official response, but there is concern that this budget cut may hinder research and development, as the cost of research and development has increased significantly considering the inflation rate.
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▲Basic direction of major R&D budget allocation and adjustment in 2024